know.'
The doctor walked over to the drug cabinet and took out a large bottle which looked as if it was full of a brown substance. He unscrewed the top and took out an old piece of parchment. The black ink had faded over the years. It was marked October 1904. It showed a route from Moscow to Odessa, and from Odessa to Turkey, seventeen hundred miles to freedom.
'Come to me every morning this week, and we will go over the plan again and again. If you fail, it must not be from lack of preparation.'
Wladek stayed awake each night, gazing at the wolvee sun through the window, rehearsing what he would do in any given situation, preparing himself for every eventuality. In the morning he would go over the plan again and again with the doctor. On the Wednesday evening before Wladek was to try the escape, the doctor folded the map into eight, placed it with the four fifty - ruble notes in a small package and sewed the package into a sleeve of the suit. Wladek took off his clothes, put on the suit and then replaced the prison nniform on top of it. As he put on the uniform again, the doctor's eye caught the Baron's band of silver which Wladek, ever since he had been issued his prison uniform, had always kept above his elbow for fear the guards would spot his only treasure and steal it.
'What's that?' he asked. 'It's quite magnificent.'
'A gift from my father,' said Wladek. 'May I give it to you to show my thanks?' He slipped the band off his wrist and handed it to the doctor.
The doctor stared at the silver band for several moments and bowed his head. 'Never,' he said. 'This can only belong to one person.' He stared silently at the boy. 'Your father must have been a great man.'
Ile doctor placed the band back on Wladeks wrist and shook him warmly by the hand.
'Good luck, Wladek. I hope we never meet agaims They embraced and Nfladek parted for what he prayed was his last night in the prison huL HQ.was unable to sleep at all that night for fear one of the guards would discover the suit under his prison clothes. When the morning ben sounded, he was already dressed and he made sure that he was not late reporting to the kitchen. The senior prisoner in the kitchen pushed Wladek forward when the guards came for the truck detail. The team chosen were four in all and Wladek was by far the youngest.
'Why this one?' asked the guard, pointing to Wladek - 'He has been at the.
camp for less than a year.'
Madek's heart stopped and he went cold all over. The doctoes plan was going to fail; and there would not be another batch of prisoners coming to the camp for at least three months. By then he would no longer be in the kitchens.
'He's an excellent cook,' said the senior prisoner. 'Trained in the castle of a baron. Only the best for the guards.'
'Ah,' said the guard, greed overcoming suspicion. 'Hurry UP, then.'
the four of them ran to the truck, and the convoy started.
The journey was again slow and arduous, but at least he was not walking this time, nor, being summer, was it unbearably cold. Wladek worked hard on preparing the food and, as he bad no desire to be noticed, hardly spoke to anyone for the entire journey other than Stanislaw, the chief cook.
When they eventually reached Irkutsk, the drive had taken nearly sixteen days. The train waiting to go to Moscow was already standing in the station. It had been there for several hours, but was unable to continue its journey until the train bringing the new prisoners had arrived.
Wladek sat on the side of the platform with the others from the field kitchen, three of them with no interest or purpose in anything around them~ dulled by the experience, but one of them intent on every move, studying the train on the other side of the platform carefully. There were several open entrances and Wladek quickly selected the one he would use when his moment came.
'Are you going to try an escape?' asked Stanislaw suddenly.
VVladek began to sweat but did not answer.
Stanislaw stared at him. 'You are?'
Still Wladek said nothing.
The old cook stared at the thirteen - year - old boy. He nodded his head up and down in agreement. If he had had a tail, it would have wagged.
'Good